AAAAARRRRGGGHH!!!! Oil leak!!!

[Stanleyf233]

I realise this has probably been covered before, so if any body has had this please hyperlink into a reply the post you used.

Sorry forgot to say it is a 2001 4.4 v8 sport

Driven my X5 to work today, and about two hours after getting there i go back to the car to get something out. While I am walking over to it i can see a dark patch about 30cm across on the concrete. It has developed an oil leak. what i cant work out at the moment and would like some advice before it goes to the garage.

The oil that i checked on the floor appeared to be the same sort of colour as brake fluid but it doesn't seem to be brake fluid. The underneath of the car has a couple of drips of this oil on the bell housing between the gearbox and the engine and also on the rear of the big aluminium stiffening plate and anti-roll bar. there is a black plastic cover about 40mm by 50mm there as well in this area.

Car seems to be driving normally.

My questions are:-
1, What is this oil?
2, What could have gone wrong for it to get out, which seal has gone?
3, How much, part number, ETK drawing should i be looking at?

Thanks for the help!

[04e53x5]

Originally Posted by Stanleyf233

I realise this has probably been covered before, so if any body has had this please hyperlink into a reply the post you used.

Sorry forgot to say it is a 2001 4.4 v8 sport

Driven my X5 to work today, and about two hours after getting there i go back to the car to get something out. While I am walking over to it i can see a dark patch about 30cm across on the concrete. It has developed an oil leak. what i cant work out at the moment and would like some advice before it goes to the garage.

The oil that i checked on the floor appeared to be the same sort of colour as brake fluid but it doesn't seem to be brake fluid. The underneath of the car has a couple of drips of this oil on the bell housing between the gearbox and the engine and also on the rear of the big aluminium stiffening plate and anti-roll bar. there is a black plastic cover about 40mm by 50mm there as well in this area.

Car seems to be driving normally.

My questions are:-
1, What is this oil?
2, What could have gone wrong for it to get out, which seal has gone?
3, How much, part number, ETK drawing should i be looking at?

Thanks for the help!

When I had my oil leak a shop near my house said it was the mainseal because it was dripping from where the engine meets the tranny. so i held off to make sure it was that because that is an expensive job to do nor can I be with out a car for several days. So I took it to my trusty indy and he said it was the oil filter housing (mine was cracked) which caused it to drip all the way down until the tranny. I would check that out first..

[Stanleyf233]

Cheers i will check shortly, although it doesn't look like engine oil. I will post some pics as soon as i can.

[04e53x5]

Originally Posted by Stanleyf233

Cheers i will check shortly, although it doesn't look like engine oil. I will post some pics as soon as i can.

ok not not sure what else would be dripping there thats not oil?? transmission fluid? perhaps pics will definitley help

[upallnight]

Power steering fluid could be the same type as ATF if the system uses ATF. The hose get soft over the years and the clamp no longer secure the hose because the hose is no longer hard.

[Stanleyf233]

OK got some pics. looks pretty oily under there and needs a good clean. Oil has now been spotted on the front left cv boot, and can also be seen on the back of the alternator housing.

[upallnight]

If I had to guess I would say that the ferrule for this hose is where the leak is.

[Stanleyf233]

Going to gunk and jet wash the area to see if i can locate it. There are a few possibilities there.

On the pic i have highlighted some areas, which one doe you think it is? feel free to copy any of the pics and edit as necessary.

Thanks

[4.8isX5]

Jack the car up, spray all of this with degreaser and brake cleaner. Wash it off. Go from there. Will be alot easier to pinpoint versus how it is now is like finding glass in the ice bin.

If it doesnt seem like oil the other two things is power steering fluid or diff fluid, I believe certain X5;s use ch11 and some use ATF. Atf will be on the redder side. CH11 will be like a darker brown/greenish color.

Diff fluid if never changed will be black as hell and diff consistency, if more recently changed, a goldish color/light brown.

[LeiZ]

My suggestion, find the highest point where you can trace the oil. Unless the oil was splashing everywhere, which usually means a pretty big disaster & hole in the wallet, the highest point is probably where you need to pay attention.

My $.02.